Guard-rail for street-cars.



PATENTED APR. 21, 1908.

G. D. SEGOR.

GUARD RAIL FOR STREET CARS. APPLICATION FILED SEEK-16,1907.

V 3SHEETS-SHEET I,

s PETERSCQ. wnsl-lnlwalv. n. c.

PATENTBD APR. 21, 1908.

No. 885,089.- GI D'I GUARD RAIL FOR STREET CARS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-16, 1907.

a sums-sum 2.

TR: NoRRlsPzrtns cm, \msumsran. n. c.

PATENTED APR. 21, 1908.

- G. D. SEQOR. GI'UARD RAIL FOR $TREET GARS.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 16, 1907.

a snnms snnn'r 3.

9107 2 49 Six/m w z 1% Y UNITED STATES GEORGE D. SECOR, OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA.

GUARD-RAIL FOR STREET-CARS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 21, 1908.

Application filed September 16, 1907. Serial No. 393,157.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE D. SECOR, a citizen of the United States, residing at South Bend, in the county of St. Joseph and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Guard-Rails for Street-Cars, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to guard rails for street cars.

One object of the invention is to provide a guard rail for street cars with means whereby guard rails upon each side of the car may be moved into and out of operative position by a single person at either end of the car.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a guard rail for street cars embodying such characteristics that it may be manipulated by one person in one position for release from its inoperative position for movement into operative position with means included in the operative connections for counter-balancing the rail to hold it in operative position.

With the above and other objects in view the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the form, proportion, size and minor details without departing from the s irit or sacrificing any of the advantages 0 the invention.

In the drawings :Figure 1 is an end view of a portion of a car illustrating the means at that particular end of the car for operating the guard rail. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a car illustrating my invention. Fig. 3 is a sectional view through one end of the car illustrating the means for holding the rail in its raised or inoperative position together with the means for operating the holding means. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view through a car illustrating my invention. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detailed elevation illustrating the guard rail, the hand hold of the car and the catch or means for holding the rail out of operative position. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detailed view partly'in elevation and partly in section illustrating the means for holding the guard rail in inoperative position and also the means for releasing said holding means.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings the reference character 1 indicates a car including the usual side posts 2 and the hand-holds 3, between which latter and the osts upon each side of the car there is usual y disposed a guard rail 4 adapted to be so disposed at times as to prevent passengers leaving the car from one particular side and usually that side adjacent alining track rails.

The guard rails 4 are shifted from operative to inoperative position through different in being suitable means employed for holding the rail in an elevated or inoperative position. In

the guard rails now employed it is customary for the manipulator to shift the rail from its lowered or operative position by first releasing one end of the rail at one end of the car and then walking to the opposite end of the car to release the rail at the other end thereof, sometimes holding the handling rail intermediate its ends during the release thereof at its opposite ends. This method of manipulation consumes much time, labor and inconvenience.

To overcome the disadvantages set forth immediately above, the end posts upon each side of the car are provided with openings 5 near their upper ends. These openings 5 are preferably larger at the inner faces of the posts than at the outer faces thereof, and over the openings 5 at the outer face of each post there is secured a plate 6, the plate being secured against displacement by means of vided upon its inner face with a pair of ears 8 between each pair of which, upon a pivot 9,

arm is secured a shoulder portion 12 which projects through the slot 13 of the plate 6 into the corresponding opening 5. This shoulder portion 12 of the catch is designed to support the guard rails 4 in their elevated or inoperative positions, as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 6, there being a helical or other spring 14 mounted within each opening 5 and working through the slot 13 of each plate 6 for engagement with the arm part 10 of the respective catch to force the latter normally outward. By virtue of the springs 14 the catches 11 may be moved inwardly upon their pivots 9 when the guard rails 4 are moved upwardly by the engagement of the rails with the catches, the latter being forced outward through the slots 13 of the plate 6 some of the methods adopted in the use of.

elevated or inoperative position to its is mounted the arm 10 of a catch 11 to which strumentalities and usually by hand, there any suitable fastenings 7. Each plate is prov as soon as the rails have been passed beyond the shoulder parts 12 of the catches.

From the foregoin it will be understood that there is a shiftab e guard rail and a pair of, catches upon each side of the car adapted to lock the rails in their elevated positions. In order that each pair of catches 11 may be operated to permit of the corresponding rail being shifted to its lower or operative position, there is mounted upon the interior of each side of the car a rock shaft 15 which is supported in suitable brackets 16. Fixedly secured to each rock shaft 15 is a pair of de pending arms 17. To each pair of arms are secured connections 18 which latter connect in any suitable manner with the inner ends of the shoulder parts 12 of the corresponding catches 11. At each end of the shaft 15 "there is disposed an operating handle 19.

Movement of either operating handle 19 of each rock shaft will rock the corresponding shaft 15, and when the shaft 15 is rocked in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 6 the corresponding pair of catches will be pulled inwardly through the slots of the cor responding plates 6 from beneath the corre sponding guard rail 4 permitting the latter to drop to its lower or operative position. It is preferred that the guard rails 4 be lowered into operative position gradually and not suddenly, thereby overcoming unnecessary jarring, noise and possible injury to passengers. To accomplish this feature of the invention each guard rail 1 is secured at each end within and to the runs of the endless sprocket chains 20, as indicated at 21 in Figs. 1 and 2. Thus there is a pair of sprocket chains on each side of the car, one adjacent each end post 2. Secured in suitable brackets 22 upon the outside of the posts 2 upon each side of the car is a shaft 23, each of which latter carry a sprocket wheel 24 at each end for cooperation with the corresponding aforesaid sprocket chains 20 each of which latter work over a sprocket wheel 25 mounted upon a stub shaft 26 supported by the end posts 2. The sprockets 25 are confined'within suitable casings 27, as indicated.

at Figs. 1 and 2 to protect the passengers from contact thereby.

By virtue of the chain and sprocket connections, it is simply necessary for the ma nipulator, after he has released a guard rail by rocking the corresponding rock shaft 15, to grasp one run of one of the sprocket chains 20 connected to the particular rail 4'which it is desired to lower and work the rail down to its lower or operative position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2 where it is held by a counter-balancing action had by the connec-- tion of a weight 28 in the line of each chain 20, as clearly illustrated in the drawings. Each guard rail may be moved to its elevated position against the action of the counterbalancing weight 28 by an attendant simply side posts and hand holds with. passenger exits between the posts and a guard. rail movable between the posts and hand-holds; of means for holding the guard rail in OIJUIittlYU position; and a rock shaft for operation to release said holding means to permit of a lowering of the guard rail.

2. The combination with a street car in cluding side posts and a guard rail movable vertically adjacent said posts; means for holding the guard rail in elevated position; and a rock shaft operable to release the guard rail from said holding means to permit of a lowering of the guard rail.

3. The combination with a street air including side posts and a guard rail movable vertically adjacent said posts; of spring controlled means for holding the guard rail in elevated position; and a rock shaft having operative connection with said spring controlled means to operate the latter to permit of a lowering of the rail.

4. In a street car including side posts and a guard rail movable vertically adjacent said posts; of means for holding the guard rail in elevated position; a rock shaft having operative connection with. said holding means to operate the latter to permit of a lowering of the guard rail; and a chain and sprocket connection mounted upon the car and (.zonnected to the guard rail to effect a gradual lowering of the rail.

5. In a street car including side posts and a guard. rail movable vertically adjacent said posts; of means for holding the guard rail in elevated position; a rock shaft having o perative connection with said holding means to operate the latter to permit of a lowering of the guard rail a chain and sprocket connection mounted upon the car connected to the guard rail to ell'ect a gradual lowering of the rail; and a counter-balancing weight secured to the sprocket chain to hold. the guard rail in its lowered position.

6. In a street car including side posts, hand-holds and a guard rail on each side of the car movable vertically between the side posts and the hand-holds; the end posts upon each side of the car having openings through them; of a catch mounted in each opening of said end posts for movement into and out of the openings and to support the corresponding guard rails in elevated position; a reek shaft mounted within the car on each side thereof; connections between each rock shaft and the corresponding catches upon the side of the car upon which the correspomling rock shaft is disposed for rocking movement to pull the corresponding catches inwardly of their 0 enings to permit of a lowering of the guard rai s.

7. In a street car including side posts, hand-holds and a guard rail on each side of the car movable vertically between the side posts and the hand-holds; the end posts upon each side of the car having openings through them; of a catch mounted in each opening of said end posts for movement into and out of the openings and to support the corresponding guard rails in elevated position; a rock shaft mounted within the car on each side thereof; connectionsbetween each rock shaft and the corresponding catches upon the side of the car upon which the corresponding rock shaft is disposed for rocking movement to pull the corresponding catches inwardly of their openings to permit of the lowering of the guard rails; a second shaft arrangedlongitudinally of the car-upon each side ,thereof and each having a sprocket wheel at each end; stub shafts mounted upon the car upon each side thereof beneath said sprocket wheels; each stub shaft carrying a sprocket wheel for alinement with the corresponding sprocket wheels of said second s afts; casmgs surrounding the sprocket wheels of the stub shafts; and chain connections working over the sprocket wheels of the second mentioned shafts and the corresponding stub shafts and connected to the corresponding guard rails to permit of a gradual lowering of the rails subsequent to the movement of the corresponding catches from engagement with the guard rails.

8. In a street car including side posts,

hand-holds, and a guide rail on each side of the car movable vertically between the side posts and the hand-holds, the end posts upon each side of the car having openings through them; of a catch mounted in each of said end posts for movement into and out of the openings and to support the correspondin guard rails in an elevated position; a roc shaft mounted within the car upon each side thereof; connections between each rock shaft and the corresponding catches upon the side of the car upon whlch the corresponding rock shaft is disposed for rocking movement to pull the corresponding catches inwardly of their openin s to permit of the lowering of the guard rails; a second shaft arranged longitudinally of the car upon each side thereof and each having a sprocket wheel at each end; stub shafts mounted upon the car upon each side thereof beneath said sprocket wheels; each stub shaft carrying a sprocket wheel for alinement with the correspondin sprocket wheels of said second shafts; an

' chain connections working over the sprocket wheels of the second mentioned shafts and the correspondin stub shafts and connected to the correspon ing guard rails to permit of a gradual lowering of the rails subsequent to the movement of the correspondin catches from engagement with the guard rai 9. In a street car including side posts,

hand-holds and a guide rail on each side of the car movable vertically between the side posts and the hand-holds the end posts upon each side of the car having openings through them; of a catch mounted in each opening of said end posts for movement into and out of the openings and to support the corresponding guard rails in elevated position; a rock shaft mounted within the car on each side thereof; connections between each rock shaft and the corresponding catches upon the side of the car upon which the corresponding rock shaft is disposed for rocking movement to pull the corresponding catches inwardly of their openings to permit of the lowering of the guard rails; a second shaft arranged longitudinally of the car upon each side thereof and each having a sprocket wheel at each end; stub shafts mounted upon the car upon each side thereof beneath said sprocket wheels; each stub shaft carrying a sprocket wheel for alinement with the corresponding sprocket wheels of said second shaft; casings surrounding the sprocket wheels of the stub shafts; and chain connections working over the sprocket wheels of the second mentioned shafts and the corresponding stub shafts and connected to the corresponding uard rail to permit of a gradual lowering of t e rails subsequent to the movement of the corresponding catches from engagement with the guard rails; and a counterbalancing weight connected' to each of said chains to hold the guard rails in their operative positions when owered.

10. In a street car including side posts,

hand-holds, and a guard rail on each side of the car movable vertically between the side posts and the hand-holds, the end posts upon each side of the car having openings through them; of a catch mounted in each opening of said end posts for movement intoand out of the openings and to support the corresponding guard rails in an elevated position; a rock shaft mounted within the car upon each side thereof; connections between each rock shaft and the corresponding catches upon the side of the car upon which the corresponding rock shaft is disposed for rocking movement to pull the corresponding catches inwardly of their openin s to permit of the lowering of the guard rai s a second shaft arranged longitudinally of the car upon each side thereof and each having a sprocket wheel at each end; stub shafts mounted upon the car upon i each side thereof beneath said sprocket wheels; each stub shaft carrying a sprocket wheel for alinement with the corresponding sprocket wheels of said second shaft; and

chain connections working over the sprocket wheels of the second mentioned shafts and the corresponding stub shafts and connected to the corresponding guard rails to permit of a gradual lowering of the rails subsequent to the movement of the corresponding catches from engagement with the guard rails; and a the guard to permit of a lowering of said rail, counter-balancing weight'connected to each and means for counterbalancing the guard of said chains to hold the guard rails in their rail when released from its elevated position. operative positions when lowered. In testimony whereof I have signed my 5 11. The combination with a streetcar inname to this specification in the presence of 15 eluding side posts and a guard rail movable two subscribing witnesses.

vertically adjacent said posts; of means for GEORGE D. SECOR. holding the guard rail in elevated position; Witnesses: means constructed and arranged to release GEORGE OLTson,

10 the aforesaid means from engagement with G. M. COLE. 

